A Salty SituationThe Effect of Different Ice Melts on the Growth of Plants

Clara M. Selbrede Mrs. Marusich Pd. 7

How I chose my project

This idea was derived from a list I thought up

at the beginning of the year to replace my

previous project.

Research Question

Do different ice melts affect

the growth of roadside

vegetation?

Types of Ice MeltsIce melts are made from a variety of chemicals, most of which include salt. Some types are● Ammonium sulfate

(NH4)2SO4

● Calcium chloride CaCl2

● Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) CH3COOH MgCO3 CaCO3

● Magnesium chloride MgCl2

● Potassium acetate CH3COOK

● Potassium chloride KCl● Sodium chloride (rock

salt, halite) NaCl

How do Ice Melts Work?

Ice melts work by lowering the freezing point of

the ice so it returns to its liquid state, and they

also dry up the water by producing heat. When

mixed with abrasives such as sand, they

provides friction to keep the car tires from

slipping.

How Can They Damage Plants?

• They can kill buds and twigs from direct

contact

• They can brown or yellow evergreens.

• They can cause salt to accumulate in the soil.

About the Melts Used

• Iodized Salt- The version of salt is not commonly used as an ice melt even though it has that ability. This is partially because it soaks up water easily and will prevent water from getting to the roots of plants.

About the Melts Used

• Calcium Chloride- This was the only product advertised as an ice melt, and it is considered one of the more “plant-friendly” chemicals. It is also useful in some mining applications.

• Unsulphured Molasses- Molasses has been recently tried as a natural substitute for chemical melts and salt.

Why Use Grass?

• Grass is inexpensive.

• Grass is not as delicate as flowers.

• Grass is what is mostly affected by ice melts

as it is by roads and sidewalks.

Hypothesis

“If the ice melt is edible, then it

will cause a less harmful effect

than the chemicals on the

plants”

Reasoning for HypothesisPlants are a form of life and although they are in Kingdom Plantae, or Vegetalia, they need nutrients to survive, similar to organisms in Kingdom Animalia. Because it is safe for animals to ingest salt and molasses, it would seem that the same would apply for plants. Therefore, salt and molasses would not be as harmful to plants as the chemicals in generic ice melts.

Procedures - Set up1. Find an available outdoor area with soil and sun.

2. Unroll the sod.

3. Cut it into equal strips (four to six).

4. Place skewers at equal intervals.

5. Wind twine around the skewers to form a 4x25 grid.

6. Wait about a week for the sod to start growing.

7. Spread one type of melt over each strip of 100 samples.

Procedures - Measurement

• They were measured by the tallest piece of grass.

• The number was rounded down if the tallest was much

taller than the rest of the sample.

• The samples were measured on the fourth, seventh,

eleventh, and fifteenth day.

• If the tip of the grass was yellow and the rest was green, it

was measured up to the end of the green.

Control

Molasses

Table Salt

Ice Melt

Summary of Average Lengths

if the sample was clearly dead, the sample was counted as a two.

Observations

Control - Healthy

Molasses - Healthy (torn up by deer)

Ice melt - Dead (after 11 days)

Table Salt - Dead (after 7 days)

End Result

Table Salt

Molasses

Ice Melt

Control

Conclusions - Comparison

No ice melt is the best for vegetation

but molasses does not do as much

harm as other ice melts. Table salt

should try to be avoided as it causes

the most damage.

Conclusion - Hypothesis

My hypothesis was only half supported by my data.

• Table Salt (edible) - harmful

• Molasses (edible) - not harmful

Limitations

• The melts could not be applied evenly.

• The project had to be done outside.

• The project had to be done in cold weather.

• The project could not be extended to see the

results of the grass in spring, or after snow.

Scientific Error

• The deer licked off most of the molasses the first

night.

• Some sample measures were counted twice in a

set of data and some were skipped over.

• Much more of the melt was used than would end

up on the plant regularly.

How This Applies to Life

This information can be used by

consumers to help them pick products

that will keep their plants at their

healthiest.

How This Research Can Be ExtendedResearch could test the effect of different

kinds of advertized ice melts on plants

against each other to find which is the most

plant-friendly. It could also be extended to

spring in order to see the long term effects of

the melts.

Acknowledgements

Craig II My Father

My Mother

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